thinne waterish humours and of superfluous corrupted Choller and Melancholly The best time of purging is in the Spring or Autumne and it were good for such as live very intemperately to purge once at the least or twice every yeare And for the manner of an exact purge Physitians say it is not amisse that the body be first opened with a Clister And if much bloud and sanguine humours abound and be corrupted to begin with Phlebotomy if age weakenesse or other occasion hinder not opening the Cephalica veine in the Arme and then the humours to bee made plyable to nature This being done now to expell concoct and purge the humours soundly which molest the body with such apt medicines as are appropriated to evacuate and purge such severall humours as doe abound therein If the stomacke and body bee very much stuft foule and corrupted it will not be amisse to use a vomit and after the same presently to take such things as will strengthen the weakned parts comfort the braine Heart Liver Splene and disperse the Reliques such as are Triacle Methridate and divers others If Intemperance and disorder have beene long used or if the disease be old it is not amisse to purge three or foure times gently because ill humours which have remained long in the body cannot so well be expelled by a suddaine purgation at once as by degrees It is good also for such as abound with Phlegme to purge the same by degrees at three or foure severall times rather then suddainly at once because clammy Phlegme will not easily and presently follow a suddaine Purgation But choller being more thinne and moveable is more easily purged But forasmuch as there are many and divers matters to bee observed herein as the humour which aboundeth The nature of the Disease The strength age and Complexion of the person The operation and force of the Purgation and the particulars thereof aptly to be sorted and appropriated to the nature of the disease and humours abounding Also how much how often to purge how farre to proceed and by what wayes and passages all which requiring a large discourse I referre the same and such as have occasion to use them to the advice of some honest skilfull practicall Physitian whose directions and assistance is most convenient and ought to bee had concerning these matters So may these Cures and Remedies be happily effected they being carefull that universals be in right manner sorted with particulars and the body and mind reduced to its naturall good Temper and disposition Concerning other Evacuations and particular Cures and Remedies of the many and divers severall Diseases incident to man Since they are too large to be treated of in this briefe and Compendious Discourse And are amply dilated and treated of by divers in great volumes and lesse necessary to be vulgarly knowne then the former prescriptions I omit The rather because I conceive That if the body be well purged of such ill humours as abound therein and afterwards a good and apt diet be observed it is sufficient for the cure of almost all Diseases especially such as are bred by Repletion which are the most common maladies of our age unlesse they be inveterate and uncureable However such directions and remedies may doe us much good and make the Temper of our bodies and minds much better then otherwise All these Rules and prescriptions are very good to be known and observed aswell by the healthy as the diseased and in their due use and observation may cause much benefit and happinesse Neither doe we want Remedies though the body be incureable we may remedy the miseries thereof by the mind which is its Governour and ought as much as it may to comfort the same for as the body workes upon the mind as hath bin shew'd So much more doth the mind worke upon the body For the reasonable soule being Immortall and Divine doth guide and governe the Animall Spirits which are the organs thereof as the fabricke of the parts of the body is the organ of these animall Spirits And these spirits like a quick light flame doe continually worke on the body as the soule doth on them they make the body lively and lighter partly by refining the moisture thereof and converting the same into themselves and also by infusing themselves into all the parts thereof enliving lightning quickning and spiritualizing the same The Divine and reasonable soule therefore ought as much as it may to spiritualize quicken and comfort the living Spirits in such sort that the body being guided by these spirits these wholly dependant on the reasonable soule and the soule being guided by divine grace which is as it were the life thereof and by faith having its Conversation in heaven with God viewing and enjoying thereby in some measure already his heavenly glory and felicities expecting the same hereafter to be revealed infinitely and to enjoy the same in perfection eternally even forgetteth the griefe of the body or rather doth convert even the senses and spirits thereof into the purer parts of the soule which in faithfull contemplation being possest with heavenly Joy in God the whole man is as it were spiritualiz'd and transported with divine pleasures However if by reason of our frailties and weakenesse we cannot attaine to such Divine extasies and transportations yet we may know that our Corruption shall put on Incorruption and our Mortality shall inherit Immortality 1 Cor. 15. That our fraile bodies shall be changed and made spirituall bodies like the glorious body of the Sonne of God Phil. 3 21 With whom we shall enjoy infinite happinesse for ever How may such faithfull Contemplations comfort vs in greatest maladies and distempers yea even in death it selfe since the same is a passage to heaven when ceasing to be as men wee shall begin to live the life of Angels with God himselfe in heavenly glory and happinesse But to Returne Now to remedy such passions of the mind as are most incident to these mixt distempers of the body which being compos'd as in a medley of all the superfluous humours adust corrupted and distempered doe cause the mind in a mixt distemper also to apprehend all things in a bad manner as having Enmity and so doth edge and eneager malice and provoke Revenge and Cruelty For remedies hereof Let vs consider that these evill dispositions of Envie hatred malice Revenge and Cruelty being seldome one without the other are Compounded of many other vices and are the occasions of many evils and even of destroying all humanity and goodnesse Envie and malice are strange passions Gnawing the heart and turning the good of another to the envious mans hurt Good and prosperous men as also their good deeds goods and prosperity are eye sores to envious malitious Spirits causing in them despight griefe and even gnashing of teeth While the envious mischievous man looketh obliquely upon the goods of another he looseth that which is good in himselfe or at least takes
PARADISE WITHIN US OR The happie Mind By Robert Crofts LONDON Printed by B. Alsop and T. Fawcet 1640. To the Readers FOrmerly having studied out of many good Authors divers notes concerning this Subject of Mans Happinesse And since for private use written the same together in a Booke Entituled VIA FOELIX The happy Way in three generall Partitions The first of Terrestriall The second of Morall And the third of Divine happinesse on Earth And further devided the same in divers particular Sections I have new lately for some Reasons abstracted and new studied out of the same but in a different manner and method and with divers alterations and additions Three little Generall Treatises The first of Earthly happinesse Entituled The Terrestriall Paradice The second this of Morall happinesse Entituled Paradice within vs. And the third of Divine happinesse on Earth Entituled Heaven within vs. The first and the third I have lately publish't This having Relation to both the other I thought not amisse to be impressed last of the three Having beene encouraged in the former I doe intend hereafter to Review new study and publish the Rest Being a farre more particular and large discourse of this Subject Happinesse on Earth and Physically Philosophically Historically and Divinely digested But not entertaine you with a Prolix Preamble Forasmuch as the Preface to the Readers In the Terrestriall Paradice may in divers respects bee applyed to this Booke also without any further Introduction I proceed THE CONTENTS OF the Booke DIVIS I. THE felicity of a vertuous Mind II. How to gaine the same III. How the body worketh upon the Mind And how we may and ought thereby to mainetaine and encrease the Felicitie thereof IV. Directions concerning Phlegmaticke Complexions and such as are of slow dull lazie heavie minds exciting to Quicknesse Livelinesse and cheerefulnesse V. Concerning Sanguine Complexions And such as are of Intemperate voluptuous minds Also of conceited and vaine-glorious Exciting to Meeknesse and Humility also to moderate delectation VI. Of Chollericke Complexions and such as are of haughty Ambitious Angry Rash violent furious minds exciting to Mildnesse Meeknesse Moderation and Tranquility to affable sweet and pleasing conditions VII Of Melancholly Complexions Of Covetous fearefull Sad sorrowfull Minds exciting to moderate desires and contentment to fortitude cheerfulnesse Ioy and happinesse VIII Of mixt Complexions and various minds of such as are of Envious malicious Revengefull Cruell obstinate froward sullen desperate minds exciting to love kindnesse Clemency humanity and to all vertue pleasantnesse delights and felicities IX That by vertue the mind becomes apt and well prepared to enjoy the choycest and sweetest felicities on Earth X. That by vertue also the Mind becomes apt and well disposed to know attaine and enjoy as farre as the same is capable the felicities of Heaven on Earth PARADICE WITHIN US OR The happie Mind THE I. DIVISION Shewing briefly The felicitie of a vertuous Mind THE happie Mind which in this compendious Treatise J intend to discourse of is That true Joy and Tranquillity of spirit which is said to be the fruit and Crowne of vertue or wisdome and by some Philosophers The soveraigne Good of Man It is an equall firme amiable pleasant and joyfull estate of the soule whereby the same becomes free from Sloth from intemperate desires and from all ill passions and perturbations And possest with true wisdome lightsomnesse tranquillity affability pleasantnesse and well prepared to enjoy either in contemplation or action the most delightfull felicities both Terrestriall and Heavenly So that while wee can maintaine our minds in this estate wee may sweetly enjoy even a Paradice of happinesse within us Who traceth right in Vertues wayes most certainely shall find A Paradice of sweetest joyes within his happie Mind But let us view the same more plainely The fountaine and object of this happinesse in the Mind which we now seeke for is Vertue or true Wisdome the Compound light and directresse thereof is Reason Vertue in generall is described to be A laudable pleasant and constant habit in the Mind which being wrought in us by divine Reason impresseth in our understanding a perfect knowledge of the true good according whereunto as it is requisite and expedient we must Love or hate take or leave The same being the never erring directrix of our affections and actions and alwayes rewarding us with internall Tranquillity Ioy and happinesse More particularly Vertue is usually devided into foure principall Parts namely Prudence Temperance Fortitude and Justice To which all other vertues are subordinate and may be reduced And from which as from the maine branches thereof they as lesser boughes doe spring and proceed All which with their peculiar definitions descriptions differences and kinds are at large described in the Ethicks and are the subject of Morall Philosophy A million of good and happy effects doth vertue produce in such as doe conforme themselves thereunto The same instructeth us to over-sway and command all the Inclinations and Actions of the mindes irrationall parts bridling and cutting off all both the excesses and defects of passions and affections keepeth them within the circle of mediocrity directly betweene too much and too little Expelleth out of the mind all vices as Covetousnesse Ambition Intemperate desires Choller Sloth Melancholy all base feare of danger and of death and armeth with resolution and comfort even against all manner of Tribulations The same also accomplisheth us with true and habituall Wisdome Verity Sobriety Magnanimity Confidence Patience Perseverāce Honesty Gratitude Humanity Liberality Clemency Courtesie Affability Cheerefulnesse Pleasantnesse and all good and amiable conditions It is a light unto our life shewing us that which is good and comely and teaching us how to performe all good and laudable Actions It giueth us also a will to all manner of goodnesse and to declare the same by a sweet and loving Conversation Vertue also advanceth the mind and infuseth thereinto a generous desire of aspiring even to the highest part of that which is most excellent most profitable and most honourable exciting the same to goe on constantly freely fearelessely and cheerefully though through many dangers and difficulties to all good and worthy Actions Maketh a man truely worthy of honour alwaies filleth the mind with good and high resolutions and with inward delectation and happinesse Soe as there is nothing Terrestriall that merits to bee in equipage with Divine vertue The same is a daughter of Heaven If wee could truely know the excellency thereof we should presently commit our selves to her perfect guidance we should incontinently embrace the same with deerest affections And know that the Incirculing Armes of the whole world embraceth nothing that is nigh so excellent as Divine vertue The same being a divine and Immortall quality in us alwaies excites our minds to some good Action or other by an earnest desire to make the same agreeable unto God himselfe and to obtain an Eternal guerdon given by him in the world
men Let us also cōsider that this melancholy passion of feare may justly bring upon us those evils which we feare in distrusting divine Providence so that fearing to become miserable makes men oftentimes to become that which they feare and so turnes their Immaginary false feare into certaine miseries How many languish in feare of losses Poverty of disgrace c. And so live miserably and need not how many loose their friends by distrusting them and game diseases by fearing them yea some have dyed even for feare to dye so that feare seemes to serve to no other end but to make men find that which they fly from Feare hindereth a man in all good great and excellent undertakings and Actions Also in all joy and happinesse both earthly and heavenly It dejects and debases a man below the nature of beasts who by reason of their weakenesse want of reason are free from this folly and neuer afflict themselves with evils past or feares to come but freely enjoy all pleasures incident to their nature save onely when they feele present paine Let us not then so abuse that Divine and heavenly light of reason which God hath given us so as thereby to become more slavishly fearefull and worse then beasts which wee ought rather to imploy in the search and Enjoyment of fortitude Magnanimity and all felicity But if any man be so borne to a fearefull nature that yet notwithstanding by Prudence and wisedome he can acquire true valour and fortitude and when there is need thereof temper his naturall feares therewith hee is not onely free from basenesse but worthy of exceeding admiration who can change a weake passion commonly bad into true vertue Let us therefore by Prudence endeavour to arme our selves with fortitude against all vnworthy feares Let us consider that it is notable folly to feare that which cannot be avoided to make our selves miserable beforehand or to feare that which it may be will never come or if it doe may be converted to our felicity for oftentimes that which we most feare brings indeed most happinesse Nor is it amisse sometimes to Imagine the worst of evils before-hand but to this intent onely to endeavour to prevent or contemne not feare them Let us therefore endeavour to prepare our selves with fortitude and Resolution against the greatest miseries that may happen to imitate the best and most Couragious men to be as valiant as David to kill Goliah if he were now here not to feare ten thousand people Psal 3. Nor though the Earth should be remooved and the mountaines into the midst of the Sea Psal 46. Though wee were even at deaths doore Psal 23. So let us endeavour not to feare any danger in a good cause like St. Paul to be perswaded that neither life nor death Angels nor Devils shall ever be able to seperate us from the loue of God in Christ Feare not little flocke saith our Saviour it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdome what a grosse absurdity is it for a Son of God an heire of heaven to be afraid Let us further consider the noblenesse and excellency of that heroicall vertue of fortitude which is the Contrary to and remedy of this timorous passion True fortitude is placed betweene the two extreames of Cowardlinesse and Rashnesse These excellent vertues namely Magnanimity Confidence Patience Noble resolutions Constancy and perseverance are the parts and Branches thereof It is as the most difficult the most glorious vertue and produced most excellent effects It is an Immortall good seated in the soule Arming the same against all perils and miseries taking away all unworthy feare of dangers difficulties sorrowes and of death it selfe advanceth the mind in a generous manner Prudently without feare Cowardlinesse and perplexity on the one side and without Impudency Rashnesse and Carelesseness on the other to aspire to and accomplish that which is most excellent and Commendable and finally Crowneth the mind with Triumph joy and happinesse Sorrow also is a passion most proper to this melancholly cold and dry humour It is a weake and languishing feeblenesse of spirit dejecting both body mind causing all other perturbations and is directly opposite to and hindereth alloy and Cheerefulnesse Yet truely some sorrowes some Crosses and afflictions in this world are in divers respects even necessary and good for us The same makes us wiser better more circumspect and diligent in all good and vertuous wayes Quickens refines and Illuminates all goodnesse yea all ensuing joyes and happinesse in vs. It is a fit mixture of Crosses adversity and sorrowes that makes even Prosperity joy and felicity vnwearisome most sweet and pleasant to us However we should rejoyce to know that all sorrow will haue an end either in heaven or before and that joy after sorrow past is most delightfull yea that sorrow it selfe may be converted also to the encrease of our heavenly joy and happinesse aswel on Earth as in heaven eternally as I haue elsewhere shewed more plainly Of all which See Terrestriall Paradice Section ij And Heaven within vs the xj Division Yet indeed we ought as farre as we can possible by all good meanes to avoid this melancholly passion of sorrow and all the occasions thereof The rather because it is the misery of all evils all vices and evill passions commonly end in this of sorrow sadnesse Jt defaces and dejects both body and soule It hindereth sleepe and rest causeth an ill stomacke ill digestion and consequently maketh a man looke pale leane dry wither'd and hindereth the whole health and welfare of the body and of the mind also weakning and quelling the same causing therein many other perturbations as feares cares distrust sometimes desperation and many mischiefes The same is most contrary to nature and reason which excite us to joy and cheerefulnesse J meane herein onely of worldly sorrow It maketh the mind unapt to performe all goodnesse and worthy enterprises or to receive any good any felicity for even pleasures and good fortunes are often displeasing to sorrowfull men to whom every thing is unsavoury as dainty meate to a corrupted stomacke and curious Musick to a distempered mind It maketh life it selfe tedious and irkesome and often causeth death before the time Let us therefore even scorne to bee of such a Melancholly sorrowfull weake dejected and pernitious temper Let us by all meanes endeavour to avoyd the same Let us as much as wee may possible by all pleasant and joyfull thoughts banish this displeasant passion of sorrow out of our minds Let us often bee thinking of such delights and customes as are most pleasing to our minds And sometimes let us recreate the same with change of delights and Novelties Sometimes it is also good to delight the mind in variety of pleasant conversation with moderate and lawful sports and Recreations with Banquetting Mirth Musicke and with all good and harmlesse pleasures in a good manner to drive away these melancholly